Hopefully it is a rumor but maybe the Penguins knew about this. It could have been the reason for signing Modig, but that is a pretty far-fetched idea.

Oh yeah he was supposed to play in the AHL next season wasn't he? BIG step back going to the KHL instead of trying to make his way to the NHL. I guess with Fleury he thinks his chances of being an NHL goalie are smaller, not that he needs to start thinking of himself as an NHL starter which i doubt he would be.

Time to Tank for the 2011 1st, since it may be the only good pick in the draft. No Pechurski = no hope. Fleury will have to play 82 games and will fall apart at about Game 52. It's OVER! Damn I can't wait until the Lottery.

This isn't a surprise to me, and probably it's for the best. Where would he play otherwise? It's rare that CHL teams use up both a Euro spot and a overage spot on the same player, which I believe is what Pechurskiy would be in 2010-11. And we already have Curry, Thiessen, Modig for the AHL/ECHL slots. It would have been either Pechurskiy in Europe or Modig in Europe. I think I'd rather see what this Swedish kid can do in the AHL.

Pechurskiy is very young. Goalies take long to develop. I am not worried about this.

This isn't a surprise to me, and probably it's for the best. Where would he play otherwise? It's rare that CHL teams use up both a Euro spot and a overage spot on the same player, which I believe is what Pechurskiy would be in 2010-11. And we already have Curry, Thiessen, Modig for the AHL/ECHL slots. It would have been either Pechurskiy in Europe or Modig in Europe. I think I'd rather see what this Swedish kid can do in the AHL.

Pechurskiy is very young. Goalies take long to develop. I am not worried about this.

Agreed. If he wasn't going to get at least half the starts in the WHL, this is the next best place for him to go, IMO.

It's not a rumor. Here is what Metallurg's GM, Valeriy Postnikov, said to Sovetskiy Sport:

Quote:

We loaned Alexander to the Penguins and now the loan is over. Pechursky has a long-term contract with Metallurg. Maybe he wants to go back to the North America but it's not about his desire, it's about our needs.

I can add that Vasiliy Koshechkin has left the team and the young goalies (Metallurg has a plenty of them) will have more ice time.

Might also be for the better. Pechurskuiy would be playing junior hockey again next season if he stayed in NA. With Metallurg he will be getting KHL action. We retain his rights, and if he develops well and wants to return when his contract is up, we will get more out of his entry level deal that we otherwise would.

Interesting. Thanks for that, Muscle Bob. Is Kosechkin going to TB, or signing with someone else in the KHL?

I doubt he goes to the NHL... The reason behind his parting with Metallurg is that Metallurg didn't want to pay him as much as he desired. So I think he wants some good cash, which he won't be getting in the NHL.

It's not so bad if he's actually going to get playing time over there. I think he'll still want to come back over at some point. But just how long is that contract?

Hm, that's strage, I googled and found an interview with Pechurskiy dated January 24, 2010, where he says (translated):

Quote:

After this season I will go to Magnitogorsk, where I have 1 more year left on my contract. But my dream is to play in the NHL.

I wonder why Metallurg's GM says it's a long-term contract... Unless there was one more 3 A.M. visit

As for the goalies in Metallurg, there are 4 young goalies now:
1) Proskuryakov - was tearing up the KHL in the first half of this past season, then the team signed Koshechkin for some reason, and Proskuryakov get benched (some say he had an injury).
2-4) Bobkov, Pechursky and Voloshin. I guess the first two will be fighting for the 2nd spot.

Well after making 12 saves on 13 shots that he faced for us...I'd love to have seen him stay.

Interestingly enough, it says on Wilkipedia that "due to an error in the NHL Central Registry his name has often been incorrectly spelled 'Pechurski,' as demonstrated by his jersey in his debut with the Penguins."